


unchartered waters

by ultncts



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Anal Sex, Barebacking, Blowjobs, Boat Sex, Feelings, Gay Sex, M/M, Making Out, Sailors, Water, laundry room, mark is so cute in this, porn with softness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:02:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23096788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ultncts/pseuds/ultncts
Summary: breaking the rules at sea was a lot more fun than breaking them on land, or was it just more fun to have someone to break the rules with?
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 35
Kudos: 444





	unchartered waters

**Author's Note:**

> so wrote this as i was watching the show “below deck” and got totally inspired lol  
> enjoy!
> 
> psa: i don’t know much about boats or anything so if something seems off or isn’t 100% correct then just ignore it lol

water pools around his ankles like a whirlpool, thick and blue and fluffy, where the waves crash into each other like soft flowers colliding in the wind. it scares him a little, the way his thin calves disappear into the black abyss of the unknown sea, but it was cool and warm both at he same time, and strangely, it felt like safety. 

“you know that’s against the rules, right?” a voice breaks his deep thoughts, cascading his eyes from the gurgling water and to a face, standing against the edge of the boat with his arms crossed. “you don’t want to get another warning”

“and when did you care about rules, lee donghyuck?” mark shoots back, eyes narrowing when the sun peaks through the gaps of the mainsail and into his eye-line. it shines against the face that stairs down at him, echoing a shadow across half of his ecru skin. 

the other scoffs, moving to sit next to mark on the floor. he crosses his legs rather than dangling them into the water like himself. they sit in silence for a moment, nothing but the sound of the wind hitting against the open backs of their thin white-work shirts and the echoing of seagulls in the far distance filling the void. it was comfortable, mark liked comfortable. 

“the boat isn’t moving, you know” mark states after a minute, running his fingers over his exposed thigh. “so technically, putting my feet in the water isn’t against the rules.” 

donghyuck shrugs, a small hum escaping his lips. mark watches as he reaches inside the pocket of his black shorts, pulling out a small packet of cigarettes. this time it was marks turn to scoff. 

“that’s against the rules” mark taunts, watching a small smile prick at the sides of donghyuck’s mouth. mark liked the warmth that spread across his chest at that. 

“i know” donghyuck replies, letting his feet finally crawl over the edge of the boat and into the water. 

☼

it was too warm. it was too sticky and compact and too fucking warm, mark has lost count of the times he’s asked the captain to fix the air conditioning in his bunk, but the captain didn’t bother to give him a proper reply, instead he grunted, turning back to fiddle with the dials of the ship. mark didn’t get payed enough for this shit, he thought for a moment. 

he was laying in his bed, his temples dripping with small droplets of sweat. the soft rocking of the ship beneath him made him stomach churn a little, dragging him away from any sense of sleep he could get. he craved something, something cold and something sweet, something special to make his crappy day fizzle out into the ocean. 

three soft knocks on his cabin door come moments later, the soft sound of “mark? are you awake?” following just seconds afterwards. mark opens one eye, the new source of light trickle through the crack in the door and flood his cabin with an auburn glow. 

“are you okay?” mark asks without thinking, without getting annoyed at being disturbed while trying to sleep. it was a simple distraction from the distasteful rocking, and it took his mind off the fact he couldn’t bear the spanish summer heat any longer. “whats wrong?”

donghyuck slides into his cabin, his bed shirt half hanging over an exposed shoulder and his thighs loudly on show. mark swallows thickly, trying to not let his eyes linger over his co-workers body any longer than they have already. he couldn’t help it, donghyuck was against the rules, like uncharted waters, something fun. something bearable.

“i’m okay” donghyuck speaks, closing the door behind him. it blocks out the light, cascading them into a fit of darkness. though, donghyuck was viewable from the full moon that sunk through the round window beside marks small bed. “i can’t sleep” 

mark hums, sitting up in his bed and throwing the thin sheets to the side. he taps the mattress, beckoning donghyuck to sit beside him. he does, following the glow from the silver moon to fall into the bed. 

“you look hot” donghyuck speaks, his voice laced with something uncertain. he presses a small hand against marks head, sighing. “you are too hot, why doesn’t the air conditioning work in here?”

“why do you care” mark half jokes, nudging donghyuck with his elbow. 

donghyuck shrugs, something he’s fond of doing. mark notices donghyuck smells clean, and of soapy cranberries. he’s used to donghyuck spelling like the salty ocean, or the thick layer of perfume he applies before stepping out to see guests. it felt nice, this purity. this stripped back layer of the boy he’s never seen, despite working with him for nearly one month. 

“because-“ donghyuck starts, then pauses. “you’re interesting, mark lee, very interesting.”

mark can’t help but notice that donghyuck had turned to face him, tucking both of his legs beneath him on the sheets. mark realises they are close. too close, close enough to feel donghyuck’s breath on his cheeks, close enough to hear donghyuck’s shaky exhales of breath. 

mark can’t help but still when donghyuck grasps the back of his warm neck pulling them closer together. 

“can i kiss you?” donghyuck asks carefully, his eyes sparking with hope and the reminiscences of the moon beside him. “i could really use a kiss right now”

mark nods, letting their lips connect. he doesn’t think about it, because it feels right. he doesn’t think about it because donghyuck’s lips are softer than thoughts, softer than the rough kiss of the sea, softer than any type of lip balm, softer than anything. 

donghyuck’s lips are warm and safe, they taste of strawberries and mint toothpaste, they taste like summer and rain all at one. and mark can’t get enough. mark can’t get enough until donghyuck is below him on the sheets, their mouths linking like two pieces of a puzzle, their tongues exploring, travelling, searching inside each other’s lips. 

he can’t get enough until they fall asleep in each-others arms, lips bashed and swollen. mark dreams of donghyuck that night, and for the first time in a while, he feels hopeful. 

☼

the sun beats down onto marks neck as he ties the stern line into a tight knot, securing it in place so that the boat won’t drift out into the vast spanish sea. 

he hums in content when the captains mutters that everything is in place through his head set, and he pulls it out from his ear, letting it fall into his pocket with a sigh of relief. he’s happy that the last charter of the week is finally complete and he can now rest, even for a short day or two. 

he can’t focus when he moves to stand on the half deck. he can’t focus when he bids goodbye to the guests, shaking their warm hands and frowning distastefully at the moisture in everyone’s skin. he can’t focus when the primary guest hands the captain a large ivory envelope, stacked full with bright green notes. he can’t focus because the back of donghyuck’s hand brushes against his own in the gap of their bodies, his warm skin igniting a flame through his veins. he wants to do nothing more than push him against the wall of the deck, harsh and tepid and rushed. it was driving him crazy. he was driving him crazy. 

“meet me in the galley in twenty minutes to collect your tips” the captain speaks to the line of staff on the half deck. most of them weren’t really listening, because their hair was drenched with summer sweat and their hands were sore from working so hard the past few days. mark was one of those people. “deck crew back sure the deck is clean, donghyuck you’re in charge to making sure the guest cabins are turned down” 

everyone nods and departs to their set place on the boat. he expects donghyuck to head to the large rooms kept for guests, but as he aims to grab the hose to start washing down the floors, a firm grip on his hand stops him from doing so, pulling him around to meet with a round, smiling face. 

“can we go somewhere?” donghyuck is way too close, his voice coming out slightly rushed and desperate. the other crew members eye them for just a moment before shrugging and departing to their jobs. 

“we are on a ship, donghyuck” mark jokes, a small laugh drifting from his lips and into the foggy summer air. “where are we meant to go?” 

donghyuck pouts, his bottom lip hitting a ray of sun that creeps through a gap in the main sail, plastering it in an orange glow which also spreads to land through the front strands of his chestnut hair. strands that are half thrown from the wind of the, previously, moving boat, one side sticking up and the other stuck to his forehead with sweat. mark tries to not find it endearing, but he fails. 

“anywhere away from everyone” donghyuck mutters, his voice is half-hidden by the sound of a passing boat pulling into the port. “i want to kiss you”

“oh” mark raises an eyebrow, his heart thumping in his chest. 

donghyuck pulls him inside, pulling him past the yachts large living space, past the kitchen, and into one of the guest cabins, which has yet to been turned down, so the expensive satin sheet is still crumpled up on the mattress. donghyuck pushes him against the white wall, his hands going up to cup marks face before either of them could mutter a word. 

“this is against the rules” mark half-jokes, thinking about their conversation a week prior. “plus i’m sweating, this isnt very attractive”

“there’s nothing hotter than a guy in uniform” donghyuck replies, his hands falling to grasp the crisp white fabric of marks button up shirt, his fingers then moving to trace the epaulettes on his shoulders. “plus, i don’t care if you’re sweaty, i’ve wanted to kiss you all day so i’m going to do so, if you want to”

so mark lets him kiss him. he kisses him back with his hands in his brown hair, tangling his pale fingers through the strands and scratching his scalp. he loves the way donghyuck groans into his mouth, whining and groaning when mark pulls on his bottom lip with his teeth. 

mark questions the way donghyuck slides his thigh between his own. he questions it until donghyuck presses it against his half-hard dick. he questions it until donghyuck smirks against his lips and he knows what he other is playing at. 

“we can’t do that” mark hums as donghyuck pulls away, his lips bruised and red from his teeth. “we have to go to the tip meeting”

donghyuck nods, too breathless to speak. mark laughs a little at the way donghyuck looks so wrecked within a few minutes of making out, his skin sweating and glistening against the the shading sun that sits against the wide glass window next to the large bed. donghyuck’s body rocks along with the boat, that subtly sways within the port. 

“it doesn’t take long to suck your dick” donghyuck speaks truthfully, a cheeky smirk appearing on his face. mark is almost shocked at his bluntness, but can’t help but smile along with him. mark hasn’t heard his co-worker speak like this before, but something had changed between them in the past week, that it almost seemed right. 

mark hums, reaching out to grasp the others hands. he pulls him closer, wallowing in the smell of the ocean air that lingers on donghyuck’s skin for a moment, before leaning forward to press a kiss against the other pair of lips. 

“later” mark says with a deep breath, “but now, we have to collect our tip before captain hands it to everyone else”

donghyuck nods, moving his hands to flatten marks raven coloured hair with his fingers. “then let’s go”

☼

the boat sets sail once more when the sun finally lands behind the spanish mountains in the far distance. the captain had decided to do a night travel, moving the boat once the port was flooded with dimness, no light other than the moon that was beating down on the water surrounding them. 

mark didn’t mind the night travels, unlike some of the other crew. he found himself sitting on the half-deck, a blanket pressed over his body to shade him from the seaway wind. he simply lays and watches the water pool around the base of the ship, splashing water onto his hair ever so often. 

he wasn’t alone for long, because eventually, and non-surprisingly, donghyuck joins him when the land is far out of reach and the boat is like a spec of dust in the ample sea. he silently climbs under the blanket, letting the soft fluff of his pyjamas rub against marks bare thighs before burrowing his head into the crook of marks neck. 

“why are you out here all alone?” donghyuck asks, voice brazing marks neck, cascading his skin with goosebumps. “are you feeling okay?”

mark sighs through his nose, saying nothing for a moment but instead picking up donghyuck’s hand and plucking his fingers with his own, finding energy through the others warm clean skin. 

“a little homesick” he answers truthfully. since whatever this was started, he’s found it easy to speak truthfully with donghyuck. he knew it was a strange dynamic, falling for the chief stewardess half way into their season. though he didn’t mind, he ignored the voice of his brother telling him; don’t fall in love at sea in the back of his mind. “i miss the cold”

“is canada always cold?” donghyuck laughs a little as mark pinches the skin in his knuckles with his beaten up nail. “you don’t seem like a person who is found of summer”

“i’m not like you” mark shoots back, finding himself unconsciously pressing a soft kiss to the others forehead. “i don’t bask in the sun like you. i see the way your face lights up when you step out onto the deck for the first time in the morning, and how you dance around fhe the rays of warmth when no ones looking. i’m not like that, i like the snow and the rain and the harsh wind”

“then why are you on a ship in the middle of the mediterranean?” donghyuck nuzzles closer to mark, and mark wonders if he could hear how fast his heart was beating inside of his chest. 

“because, you’re here” mark half jokes, earning a small elbow in his ribs. this words were cut quiet by the sound of a large wave crashing into the side of the ship, and he notices how donghyuck shivers into his skin slightly. 

“you didn’t know that until we arrived, idiot” donghyuck rolls his eyes. “tell me truthfully, why did a small town boy like you want to travel the seas on this boat?”

mark hums, letting them fall into silence for just a moment. the lull engulfs them while they sit there, nothing but the sound of the boat moving against the waves filling the space between their beating hearts. 

“i wanted something new and exciting” mark answers truthfully after a moment. “i wanted a new home, an excuse to see more parts of the world, an excuse to meet some people, or someone” 

“you weren’t scared?” donghyuck asks another question, his voice laced with curiosity and endearment. “i was scared when i first decided to do this”

“of course i was scared” mark sighs, hating the thrill of anxiety that runs over his chest for a moment. “and why did you decide to do this?” 

donghyuck laughs a little, the sound of a subtle chuckle escaping his lips. it was his turn to play with marks fingers now, one hand grasping his palm, warming it with his skin. 

“my parents told me i should just become a professional cleaner, because it was bothersome to them that i was constantly tidying up after them and reorganising their stuff” mark likes the way donghyuck’s voice grows and spikes when talking about this, it’s full of love and memories. “but i didn’t want to be a cleaner, that sounded way too boring for me, i crave excitement and interaction and appreciation, and i somehow found myself here”

“and you enjoy it?” mark asks curiously. he often sees donghyuck at his most stressed, when he’s desperately fixing the other stewardess mistakes, or rushing around the dinner table to set it perfectly for guests. he often steals kisses from him while he irons staff uniform in the under-cabin, pushing him against the hanging clothes to dot kisses down his throat. he always wondered if donghyuck was truly happy doing this. 

“i love it more than anything in the world” donghyuck looks, pouting out his lip so mark can kiss him. “and i don’t know what we are, but whatever it is, makes me enjoy life a little bit more”

mark didn’t say anything, because he doesn’t need to. he lets the sound the ocean say it for him, and decides to press small kisses on donghyuck’s lips. they tasted of mint, his tongue soft and warm and right. he’s lost count of the amount of times he’s kissed him since the first night donghyuck crawled into his cabin, he’s lost count of the time he’s pushed donghyuck against the wall in the small bathroom, he’s lost count of the times they’ve snuck around during charters to make out on the half deck. he’s lost count because it’s right. 

“i’m hungry” donghyuck speaks after a few minutes, his hands stilling on the back of marks neck, that was risen with goosebumps from the wind passing the boat, and a little from the touch of donghyuck’s warm lips, as much as mark didn’t want to admit that. “shall we raid the chef’s fridge? he’s dead asleep”

mark raises an eyebrow, letting his hands that sit on donghyuck’s neck trail down to land on the small of his back, squeezing his skin through the soft material of his bed shirt. he winches at the way a few droplets of water spray over the edge and onto his skin, but donghyuck doesn’t let it phase him. 

“that’s very much against the rules, donghyuck” mark’s voice is quiet, letting it run over donghyuck’s face. “but i think by now, i know you don’t care about rules very much”

and so with that, he lets donghyuck lead him into the small kitchen. he watches and donghyuck paddles over the cold floor, his pyjama bottoms dragging onto the tiles below their feet. he watches donghyuck as he leans on the oven, watching with shining eyes as donghyuck opens the fridge, pulling out a silver bowl full of chocolate brownies. 

“we’ve hit the jackpot” a bright, gummy smile spreads across donghyuck’s face. it makes mark wanna puke, in the good way. donghyuck steps towards him, shaking for a moment when the boat hits a gush of waves. mark can’t help but reach out and grab his arm to make sure he doesn’t fall over, or worse, drop the bowel of brownies and wake everyone up. “chef is going to kill us, but these brownies look too good to miss out on”

☼

donghyuck is whining, small, kitten whines leaving his bruised and beaten lips. mark hates the way it sounds, he hates it because it’s so stunning, so merciful, so attractive. it was so naughty, they shouldn’t be doing this. they shouldn’t be fucking while there were guests on board, they shouldn’t be fucking at all on the boat. 

“harder, please harder” donghyuck whines, his hands going up to grasp marks back, dragging his nails through the delicate skin. mark obliges, moving to hook one leg around his shirt-ridden waist, and angles himself deeper, so deep that the washing machine donghyuck is lying against hits the the beige wall, toppling the iron to the floor with a loud bang. neither of them care. “fuck fuck fuck it feels so good”

it wasn’t the ideal place to have sex, inside of a small laundry room that was flooded with white sailor shirts and their captains underwear. but they were making the most of the space they had, donghyuck quickly jumping onto the washing machine and laying against it, begging for mark. and who was mark to deny him? he had had a rough day, the guests were on his back all morning about the fucking water trampoline (every deckhand hated the damn thing) and the weather had become windy since they pulled into the french islands - meaning the boat was moving around on the water more than it should be and causing a lot more work for his department, so who was he to deny a quick fuck in the laundry room? it wouldn’t be the first time this has happened, since the kiss in marks cabin two months ago. 

“does it feel good, baby?” mark asks through panted breaths. “we gotta be more quiet, this is totally against the rules”

“fuck the fucking rules mark” donghyuck groans legs twitching around marks waist. “i told you, fuck, that the best thing about working on this boat is breaking the rules with you” 

mark hums, pulling himself out of donghyuck and ushering him to flip onto him stomach, donghyuck quickly obliges, his naked chest landing on the white washer, arms bent at the elbows to keep himself in place. mark slowly slid back in, trying to relish in the feeling of donghyuck before it was over and they were back to work. 

“please mark, please please. fuck. right there mark please” donghyuck begs, pushing his ass up into marks dick, letting out a small whine when his ass meets the skin of marks lower stomach. “the guests are probably foaming at the mouth for a martini right now, let me cum and do the job i’m here to do”

mark laughs, reaching forward to take a handful of donghyuck’s soft hair in his hands and pulling it, so that donghyuck’s neck was bent and he could see the side of his face scrunching up in pleasure as he rams his dick inside of him, hard and fast and with no mercy, not caring that the washer was unforgivingly hitting the wall too hard or that the rocking of the boat was making it hard to keep himself balanced. he was loving this moment, the sound of the waves crashing against the window at their side and the sunlight beaming through to cover donghyuck’s back, that only was enough to make him twitch inside of the younger boy, wallowing when donghyuck cums with his hand wrapped around his mouth to keep himself quiet, and that alone was enough for mark to spurt hot liquid on donghyuck’s lower back, his eyebrows furrowed and legs trembling. 

“you’re good at that” donghyuck says as he pulls his white shirt back over his head, tucking it into his black shorts. he checks his hair in the reflection of his phone - it wasn’t at its tidiest, marks hand has ruffled it at the roots and the pink hue on donghyuck’s round cheeks was also suspicious. neither of them cared. “too good, i must say, i’ll miss it”

mark ignores the pang of sadness inside of his chest as he slides his headset back into place and hooks it around his ear. i guess he’d forgotten that eventually the charting season would come to an end, sooner than he thought. 

he ignores it, sighing when the first thing he hears through the radio is; ‘mark? mark? where are you? i’ve been trying to find you for twenty minutes. mark? mark? the guests want to use the jet skis.’

“you’re pretty, you know that?” mark speaks, voice loud and clear and not caring if one of the other members of staff were lingering outside on their break. the picture in front of him was more important, donghyuck with his frazzled hair and pink cheeks. donghyuck with his smart shirt and three stripped shoulders - indicating that he was at the top of the interior team. donghyuck with his shining skin that soaked up the suns rays. donghyuck, just donghyuck. mark reaches out with his fingers to adjust a few of the strands on the others head. “like a sunflower, pretty and shining and wonderful”

donghyuck kisses him, short and sweet, as he begins to collect fresh laundry in his hands to fold up in the crew mast. “i know, now go, before we do really get fired”

mark nods, sliding out of the laundry room and pacing back to the deck where the guests, and his team, sit with impatient faces. he can’t hide the smile on his undeniably red cheeks. 

☼

“i’m sorry ma’am, but as i just explained, i’m not a member of the interior crew-“ mark starts, holding up a hand so that the rather rude, prissy guest, doesn’t interrupt him again. “so i am unsure and unable to make that drink for you, if you give me just a moment i can a-“

“is it really that hard to make a vodka and coke?” the guest scoffs, her dyed blonde hair flowing in the wind. if she wasn’t being so difficult mark would’ve thought her pretty, and scenic, with the blue waves rolling behind her and the colourful backdrop of argeles-sur-mer in the near distance. “we’ve been waiting for almost ten minutes with our drinks unattended to”

mark breathes out of his nose, feeling a trickle of sweat from the sun and from annoyance roll down from his black hair and into the collar of his shirt. he uncrosses his arm, and forces a fake smile. “i’ll be back in a moment to make sure your glasses are full” 

she only tuts and turns back to her husband, who is too busy snapping up pictures of the french towns sandy beaches to take any notice in her complaining. mark ushers to another member of the deck crew he’ll be back in just a moment to help them prepare for docking, and shuffles inside to the kitchen in hopes to find a member of the interior crew who could cater to the guests needs. after all, it wasn’t his job. 

“ah, yeri, do you have a moment to make the primary guest a drink?” mark asks, spotting the youngest female member crouching in the main salon, pulling out plates from an under cuboard. “she wants it right this moment”

yeri laughs a little, her brown eyes sparkling when the sun hits them. “of course, but she’ll have to wait at least five minutes, chef will kill me if these arent put in the kitchen right now.”

mark sighs, feeling his annoyance peaking. he feels as though he’s the only one on this boat who wants to get a good tip this charter, he knows that the crew are exhausted from the long and warm season, but he still wanted to please the guests, knowing that opening his tip to a mere three hundred dollars will do nothing but fuel his anger and hatred for this damn boat even more. 

he feels a soft hand on the small of his back, like a saviour in the night, an angel in the pits of hell. warm and comforting, enough to fizzle down the rude remark he was just about to gurgle out in the direction of he youngest stewardess as she shuffled off into the kitchen clutching a pile of china dishes. “everything okay mark? why aren’t you preparing for docking?”

donghyuck’s voice was high and concerned, mark wanted to yell at him too and ask why he wasn’t attending to the guests, but when he spins on his heels to be met with a tepid face, his free hand full of towels, that smelt strongly of fresh detergent and summer rain, he calms, instead smiling. 

“the guests want some drinks, i didn’t know where any of their interior guests were” mark explains, automatically reaching out to grab some of the items donghyuck was struggling with. “do you have some time to make them? she’s yelling at me and i don’t like it”

donghyuck pouts, like a baby, so cute that mark wants to scream and kiss him all over, but he can’t do so, not with the other staff members a mere few inches away. donghyuck speaks, voice low and full of sarcasm and humour. “why would someone be mean to little markie? i’m busy but i can make them a drink, my baby” 

donghyuck props his towels onto the side of the bar that’s located in the middle of the main salon. he carefully crosses it, opening the fridge filled with colourful bottles of expensive wine, vodka and whiskeys mark could never even think about affording. “vodka and coke for the primary, and her husband wanted a martini”

“simple” donghyuck’s shrugs, pulling out the boats fanciest glasses and pouring the drinks. mark told his crew he’d be back in a moment, but he doesn’t find himself leaving. instead he watches the younger, he watches how his beautiful face stays so calm and collected as the drinks overspill when they hit a harsh wave. 

he watches and donghyuck wipes the sweat from his forehead and smiles to himself as he pours in the rest of the ingredients. he watches as donghyuck carefully cuts a lemon, and plops it into the drinks with a bent wrist. he can’t help but feel comfort in the little things donghyuck does. “all done, i’ll take them to them now”

mark gulps, feeling his cheeks turning pink as donghyuck exits the bar, holding the drinks on a tray. “let me help you, i’m heading back onto the deck anyway” 

donghyuck shoots him a pointed glance, the edges of his lips curving into a smile. donghyuck only keeps walking, past the automatic doors and out into the sun, his skin automatically lighting up like a flame to a match, each and every inch of his skin glowing a golden flicker and his hair flowing back within the wind. “i don’t need your help mark lee, that would be against the rules, you need to stick to the manly deckhand things”

“but you’re my boyfriend, of course i’ll help you” mark scoffs, taking one of the drinks in his hand with a short smile covering his sweat risen face, he ignored donghyucks tut. “plus, i thought you didn’t care about rules”

donghyuck pauses in his steps, ignoring the confused glances the guests shoot their way. “i’m your what?”

“ah” mark purses his lips together, only realising what he had just said. they hadn’t discussed their relationship much, it was more of a what happens happens relationship, and the sudden label seemed foreign. “i’m sorry, i didn’t mean to-“

“i like it” donghyuck smiles, using his free hand to playfully snatch the drink back from marks hand, placing it back to the martini with a smug smile on his face. “mark lee’s boat boyfriend, i like it, now shoo, i can see the boat approaching the dock” 

mark can only stand and watch as donghyuck struts towards the guests, hearing him mutter a few very convincing apologies for the wait, which seem to work, because behind the flush of windy blonde hair he can see the guest smile, and he can tell the rest of the day is going to be okay. 

☼

mark sighs as the water puddles at his waist, engulfing his white shirt in a wet slick, pulling it down to float around him in the waves. it felt so abating, so calming and serine. he hadn’t been swimming in a while, not since him and donghyuck got drunk when the guests left the boats a few charters ago, falling into the water at the docks in the middle of the night. 

“are you gonna actually swim or just stand there like a puppy whose scared of the water?” mark watches donghyuck’s head poke up from the crystal waves, his hair flat around his face, falling over his ears like a thick blanket. “you’re meaning to tell me you work at sea and you can’t swim?” 

mark splashes water in his direction, watching it land on donghyuck’s tawny skin, the droplets budding and glowing against the harsh golden rays of the french sun. 

“of course i can swim, dickhead” mark scoffs, letting the water envelope his burnt shoulders as he swims over to where donghyuck was floating by the bay, almost naked, soaking in every inch of the blue sky. “i’m just taking it all in”

donghyuck hums, reaching out a hand under the water to wrap around marks waist, pulling their sodden body’s together. “i was just teasing”

“i know” mark scoffs again, pressing a kiss on donghyuck’s lips. he grimaces for a moment at the strong taste of ocean salt, mixed with grains of sand that subside on their lips from play fighting in the sand minutes before falling into the water. but he doesn’t mind it, he’s used to this taste by now. 

“it’s pretty here” donghyuck speaks, his small voice obscured by the sound of the waves crashing on the bay. the younger pulls his legs around marks waist followed by enveloping his arms around his neck. it wasn’t hard to hold him up, the water made it easy, but it was hard to hide the large rush of peach fuzz that ran over his face, and it was hard to push down the smile budding on his lips. “i like france, i would like to live here when i’m old and tired”

mark laughs a little, wallowing in the way they sway in the water together. he’s thankful the other crew members decided to head for an early lunch, leaving the two almost isolated on the hidden beach they had found after dropping off the last charter guests of the season. he was grateful because he needed this, the peaceful serine of the sea, the beach, the quiet. donghyuck. 

“you? in france? i picture you more in the sunny suburbs of somewhere like greece, walking around all day in shorts and flowers in your hair” marks voice was exaggerated, laced with some sarcasm and some truths. “plus, can you even speak a lick of french?”

“yes” donghyuck pinches him through his shirt. “tu es beau” 

“very charming” mark kisses him. “then why wait until your old? why don’t we stay here? for a while, maybe.”

donghyuck’s eyes widen, his glossy mouth parting into a small ‘o’. a silence falls over them, nothing but the sound of the overhead birds and the influx of waves filling the air. for a moment, marks heart sinks. he thinks that he’s went a little far, and that this was all just a summer fling for the head stewardess. he feels shy, a little embarrassed and he sighs at the way an influx of anxiety crushes at his heart inside of his chest. 

but donghyuck speaks, his voice louder and clearer than it had been all day. “let’s stay here, for a while”

“really?” 

“you’re the one who suggested it” donghyuck rolls his eyes, pushing away from mark to float on his back. mark sighs at how beautiful he was, how stunning his skin looked against the crystal sea, his hair budding out into the waves like feathers in the wind. “we could stay here, travel france, eat bread and kiss at the top of the eiffel tower”

marks heart clenches. the words of his brother picker through his mind. don’t fall in love at sea; it’s worse than exploring uncharted waters. mark laughs, because he thinks, nothing could be worse than falling in love with donghyuck. 

“i love you” mark speaks, grasping the wrist of the other to lead him out of the water and into the golden sand. 

“i know” donghyuck replies, his cheeks red from the sun, and mark would like to think from infatuation, a little bit too. “and you already know i love you too, just a little bit” 

“then it’s a plan” mark smiles, not being able to hold himself back from leaning forward to place another kiss on the pair of glowing briny lips that sit in front of his eyes. “me and my boat boyfriend, exploring france, no more sneaking around between charters”

donghyuck kisses him back, harsh and strong, full of love and full of excitement, full of hope and full of desire. he goes to speak, but his words are cut short by a familiar boat honking as it drifts past the beach, indicating it was time to leave the beach and head back to clean up the boat for the last time. mark didn’t mind, because it was taking them to port, taking him to start his new life.

**Author's Note:**

> don’t forget a kudos and comment it would make me very very happy !


End file.
